


Hope (is seeing light despite being surrounded by darkness)

by jessicamay672



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Parents, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Coming of Age, Dancing, Denial of Feelings, F/F, High School, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 10:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27849754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessicamay672/pseuds/jessicamay672
Summary: "Dancing. It’s what Kate did to get away; to avoid life; but mostly, to avoid 'her'. Dancing could take Kate away, take her into a whole new world where she could just lose herself in the music. A world where she didn't have to worry about anything else. Not her shit parents. Not her shit friends. And especially not 'her'."Kate's been dealt a pretty shit hand in life, abusive parents, and no one to help her through it. It's made her closed off and most importantly, it's made her lose hope. It isn't until a certain someone comes into Kate's life that she learns maybe it isn't so bad to hope after all.orJust a short three-part coming-of-age story with some wlw thrown in there because who doesn't love that. (And when I say 'thrown in' I mean its half the plot *wink*)
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 2





	1. Shit Parents and Shit Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this story hidden away in the recesses of my google drive and decided today on a whim that it couldn't hurt to post it. This is my first story on here, even though I've read so many, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Warning for slightly graphic description of violence and abuse, I have never personally gone through it and I hope my depiction doesn't upset anyone or isn't too drastically unrealistic. I'm always accepting of feedback if it does so don't hold back any advice. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy (title pun not intended, but appreciated) and maybe this will motivate me to get writing again. :)

Dancing. It’s what Kate did to get away; to avoid life; but mostly, to avoid 'her'. Dancing could take Kate away, take her into a whole new world where she could just lose herself in the music. A world where she didn't have to worry about anything else. Not her shit parents. Not her shit friends. And especially not 'her'. 

It was an escape. A way to express herself. And best of all, something no one knew about. It was one of the only things Kate had to herself. One thing that wasn't tainted by her horrible life. But of course, all good things must come to an end. Honestly, Kate was surprised she even had something good for that long. 

It was a nice spring day, if not for what would happen later Kate probably would have remembered it as one of the few normal days. But, as stated before, all good things must come to an end, and this day certainly had an interesting end. 

Kate had just made it out of the hell-hole otherwise known as school and was planning to head down to the field a half a mile from her house where she danced. The day had been pretty normal so far, it was far from good but Kate was used to that being the standard. Her ‘friends’ had been kinda distant that day, much to Kate’s relief. She didn't like them at all, for good reasons of course. They bullied her almost every second they were around, and even though they claimed to be just joking Kate could tell they weren't. What she didn't understand was why they seemed to hate her so much. She couldn't think of a single thing she had ever done to any of them.

So, as usual, she just made her way towards home. She was forced to walk four miles to school and back every day because her parents simply refused to drive her or get her a car, and no bus traveled that way. She was used to it by now and honestly, it had become so ingrained in her routine she even walked five miles on the weekend. When faced with a home life like hers, you would use any excuse to get out of the house as much as possible. 

It’s not like her parents cared at all about what she did. They had told her, right to her face, in these exact words, “Why would we give a fuck where you are, or what you're doing. You could be getting murdered by a serial killer and we wouldn't care about your well being. Why would we, it’s not like you really matter anyway, you’re just the mistake that popped into our lives 17 years ago. If I could go back in time and stop you from being born, god, believe me, I would.” 

The fact that her dad was drunk when he said those words could be used to lessen their severity, but Kate knew every single one came right from the heart. Well, the excuse for a heart he had anyway. 

These words simply provided the insight that her parents didn't care at all what she did, so the fact that she left her house at 6 am every day and didn't return until around ten at night didn't bother anyone. Or didn't genuinely bother anyone, because, despite the fact that her dad really didn't care where she was, he used this as an excuse to beat her on numerous occasions. 

By this point, Kate was used to it, she had dealt with bruises and cuts since she was around eight. Everyone always assumed they were because she was a rambunctious child, no knowledge to give them any indication it was something far worse. Kate's parents were saints in the eyes of the public and no one would ever expect her father to be an abusive alcoholic. Or her mother to be a drug addict. But Kate knew the truth, and with knowing the truth came having to deal with the consequences.

Having to endure the beatings from her father, and listening to the screams of her mother when she was having withdrawals, was a regular occurrence. It was a pile of bad circumstances that just got bigger the longer it lasted. But Kate had learned to grow stronger and continue supporting the pile of lies her family existed in. Because she knew the moment she faltered, even the slightest bit, everything would come crashing, and she couldn't let that happen. Not when she was this close to getting out, to finally escaping from the hell she grew up in and cutting all connections she had to this terrible place. 

So she just made her way through the days counting down to the time she could leave. Sadly that time seemed to be slipping further and further away from her. 

Kate had been walking for a while when she finally made it to her house. She never went inside, just walked by and got the mail, seeing as no one else would. But today was different, she could just feel it. Almost as if there was something in the air trying to warn her to run. To run fast and hard and to get out before it was too late. But like always she didn't listen, because she had wanted to run since the first day her father laid a hand on her, but she had to be smarter than that. It was impractical for the time being; If she could just wait for a little longer, the time would be right.

She opened the mailbox and to her surprise it was empty. This should have been her first warning sign because it was only ever empty on Sunday’s when mail wasn't delivered. Whether it be a letter asking for donations to some random organization, or bills that Kate had to get the money to pay, there was always something. 

Just because Kate's parents were terrible didn't mean they were poor. They were a decently rich family, most of the money coming from a business her father had inherited from his dad and somehow managed not to run into the ground.

But just because they had enough money didn't mean Kate saw any of it for herself. Most of it was spent on her mother's drugs and the rest on her father's alcohol, which left only the bare minimum to pay the bills. They got by, but not with enough money for Kate to have anything for herself. 

Luckily, Kate was a smart girl, one of the smartest in her class. She excelled through high school with minimal effort but made sure to stay out of the spotlight. The spotlight draws attention and attention brings questions she didn’t want to answer. 

So she had found ways around her situation, Kate was forced to buy the food and pay the bills so all she had to do was make sure to save in those areas anyway she could. Buying the cheaper milk, or bread, that saved a dollar or two, or making sure to almost never use the lights, and finding a way to shut off the power to the rooms she knew her parents never used.

It worked and she had managed to save a decent amount of money over time. Enough to buy nice dancing shoes, the only material thing she ever really wanted. Enough to send out college applications to her top five picks. And enough to almost afford the car she would need to escape this torturous town. It wasn't enough for anything fancy or new but it was enough to get a reliable car.

So, the only possible explanation for an empty mailbox was that someone else had gotten the mail. Which, in all honesty, was one of the worst things that could happen. Kate was expecting letters back from the colleges she applied to and she had purposely made sure not to mention any of this to her parents. Because, while they never cared about much of anything Kate did, she knew they had expected her to stay home with them her whole life, probably acting as their personal servant. All she could do was hope that none of the letters had come in today. Because if they did, Kate knew she was going to be in for it. 

But, as always, the universe decided that it hated her too and that luck was never going to be on her side because as soon as she closed the empty mailbox flap she heard the voice that screamed insults at her on a daily basis. 

“You better get in here right now young lady, you have a lot of explaining to do.” And Kate wanted to run, to leave, to get out before it was too late. But she knew that wasn’t possible. Any attempt to postpone the inevitable was just going to lead to a bigger consequence. 

Kate started making her way to the door, shoulders set straight, and head held high. She had learned long ago that it was worse to act defeated. Her father was like a bloodhound, he could smell the fear, and he fed off it. So, as always, Kate adapted. She learned to stay strong despite the hardships she faced. She just hoped her facade could last a little longer. Because she knew when it broke, she would break alongside it. 

She relished the moments before entering that doorway. The outside was safe, there was a layer of protection that came with it. Kate knew her father would never harm her in public; He wouldn’t jeopardize his reputation like that. He always waited for closed doors to unleash his attacks. 

As she made her way past her father and through the door, the first thing she saw was the stack of mail on the table. Most of them were bills, but one envelope stuck out from the rest. It was off to the side, with a college logo printed right on the front, it was from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

Kate’s top pick was Juilliard, but the Boston Conservatory at Berklee was a close runner-up and while she wanted to get in she didn’t hope. Hope was a feeling she had lost years ago. So seeing that envelope, torn open, obviously read through, Kate didn’t know what to feel. The letter being open showed that her father knew about her application. But she didn’t know what to expect, she didn’t know how he would react. 

As she was roughly slammed against the wall and held up by her neck, she got an answer. “You little bitch,” he spat in her face, visibly enraged. “How dare you try and leave your mother and me here, and to go to some stupid little school you don’t deserve. You’re pathetic and worthless, and the only thing you deserve is to be treated like the piece of shit you are.” Her father continued, slamming her against the wall every couple of words. 

He had thrown her against the wall so hard she had lost her breath, unable to respond to anything, but her father didn’t like that at all. “You weak little shit, speak up, fight back, do something, SPEAK!” He screamed in her ear as he continued to slam her against the wall. 

When she still didn’t respond he punched her on the left side of the face before throwing her to the ground. He started kicking her in the stomach and back, yelling insults along the way. All Kate could do was stay still and wait for it to end. She had learned fighting back and defending herself only ever made it worse. 

After a couple of minutes of him yelling and beating her, he finally seemed to tire. Kate watched as he stopped his movements, breathing heavily from the energy he put into the assault. He leaned down towards her and she braced herself for a final blow. But all that happened was her father leaning down to whisper in her ear. 

“Seems like a nice school, too bad you’ll never go. They must have made a mistake, you could never be talented enough to get accepted. Good thing I took care of that. I made sure they knew you weren’t going to be attending.” And with that he walked away, leaving Kate to fend for herself like always. 

And as she limped and dragged herself to her room, where she kept a first aid kit for occasions like this, she didn’t feel anything. She wasn’t happy she got accepted, sad or mad that it didn’t matter because her dad ruined it, or even upset about the situation. Because she had lost hope a long time ago. And really she should have expected this. Things never went well for her, she was always dealt a bad hand. 

She cleaned the cut on her face, not even flinching when the cold wipe touched her wound. She had done this enough to get used to the sting. The rest of her injuries were mostly bruises she didn’t bother to try and conceal. 

She quickly but quietly made her way back to the entryway where she found her backpack. She was about to make her way out of the house, knowing from experience it was worse to stay after a beating than to leave, but something caught her eye.

In the stack of mail that she would have to deal with later, a letter stuck out just slightly at the bottom. As Kate made her way over she noticed the words printed on the outside of the envelope. It was from Juilliard, and at that moment all Kate could do was stare down at it. The distant sound of her father shouting quickly caused her to snap into action, grabbing the envelope and stuffing it in her bag before practically sprinting out the door. 

Maybe she would have to thank the universe later. Even though the Boston Conservatory at Berklee was not an option anymore at least her father had found that envelope and not the one from Juilliard. Maybe for once, even though she still got a bad hand, there was an ace hidden in there. 

She continued her speedy escape until she was out of sight of her house. Only then did Kate let out a breath she had been holding. She was overwhelmed and it all seemed too surreal.

For once Kate was actually thankful her father was so set on ruining her life. Because obviously in his pursuit to make sure she didn’t get into the Boston Conservatory at Berklee he had missed the letter from Juilliard. 

Kate planned to head to the field like always. She was used to dancing with all the bruises, as they were constantly there. And she knew that she was still going to dance, no matter what the outcome of the letter was. 

She was almost to the field when she took the letter out of her bag. Kate held it in her hands for a moment, just absorbing it before she finally opened the envelope. When she ripped open the seal and took out the papers that had been enclosed in there, she closed her eyes. 

She didn’t hope, she didn’t wish, she didn’t pray. She just held the letter. She didn’t brace herself, because she had no expectations. Whatever the letter said, was what the letter said. She would get accepted, or get rejected. Kate was prepared for both, she was ready to accept, and deal, with whatever happened. 

So, when she finally opened her eyes and read the letter, she didn’t react. She just closed it again, neatly folding the paper as it had arrived, and put it in her bag, continuing on her way to the field. She couldn’t fully process what the words on that letter truly meant for her future.

Kate was so caught up in her thoughts she didn’t seem to notice the truck that had been following her for most of the journey. She turned down a small dirt road that led past a layer of trees and to the field where she danced. As Kate continued down the narrow road, the truck turned and followed her. 

At this point, she realized they were following her. She picked up the pace trying to make it to the field before they caught up, but as she picked up the pace so did her mysterious pursuers. Just as she was about to make it to the field they reached her. 

Kate tried to keep walking but when she heard a familiar voice call out her name she turned around. She immediately recognized the guy as one of her ‘friends’ Brad. As she took in the whole car, she realized her other four ‘friends’ were there as well. Brad was in shotgun, with Kevin driving, and Lily, Jack, and Alice were all crowded in the back. “Hey guys,” Kate reluctantly called out, unsure why they were here, or how they knew of this place. 

Slowly all of her ‘friends’ climbed out of the truck. They continued to move until she was completely surrounded on all sides. Kate was confused until finally, Brad spoke up.  
“Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?” All Kate could do was give a nod, still utterly perplexed by the situation. “We know all about your cute little dancing thing.” This information shocked Kate, but she didn’t let it show. Years of abuse taught her to keep the emotions off her face. 

“Just as a little, FYI, we all hate you. A lot.” Kate just rolled her eyes at this announcement, it was obvious, if not blunt. “We actually found out about your dancing cause we followed you one day planning to beat you up.” As if for emphasis Kevin stepped forward a little, attempting to make Kate flinch. She didn’t. Years of abuse taught her to accept the beating and not react. 

“As we followed you, you turned down here before walking towards the field. We were curious, so we waited, and what we saw next was ridiculous. You put music on and just started dancing. It was hilarious, you looked like you really loved it and put a lot of emotion into it.” Kate could only internally agree, she always put everything that she had into dancing. 

“And then for once Lily actually got a good idea,” Lilly muttered a small ‘hey’ in offense but Brad just continued. “She said that if this was something you loved, taking that away from you would be better than just beating you up.” As if on cue Kevin reached out and grabbed Kate’s bag from her. She didn’t put up a fight, there was no point in trying. 

“So now what we're going to do is pretty simple. We’re going to take your little dance shoes,” Kevin took them out of the bag, flaunting them as Brad continued the explanation. “And we’re going to burn them,” he stated matter-of-factly. Kate didn’t react, that was her specialty, not giving people the satisfaction they wanted. 

The utter lack of emotion on her face seemed to anger Brad, causing him to step forward and grab her wrist in a vice-like grip. Again, Kate didn’t react, it wasn’t anything she wasn’t used to. Furious now, Brad slapped her across the face, hitting the cut her father had caused. It hurt, but still, Kate didn’t react. She was familiar with this game, and she had become a master, she could wait all day. 

Sensing this, Brad released her only to snatch the shoes out of Kevin’s hands and toss them on the dirt road. He spat on them before Alice came over with lighter fluid and poured it all over. As she doused the shoes Alice just smirked at Kate, as if giving her a ‘take this bitch’ look. 

Kate had yet to move or even react. She wasn’t shocked, she had just accepted that this was happening and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Kate had been expecting that something like this would happen for a while, she never had nice things for long. So, as Brad pulled out a lighter, she just watched on as he prepared to light the only things she ever cared about on fire. 

Before he lit the shoes on fire he paused to speak. “I hope you know I’m not dumb enough to think this would stop you from dancing. Obviously, you can still dance without these shoes, it’s not that hard. But this symbolizes something bigger. It’s demonstrating how I have the power to destroy something you love.” Brad slowly walked over to Kate before turning to whisper in her ear. 

“I know all about your dad, about the alcohol, about how he beats you.” He said the last part lower as if emphasizing it. “And I know this is your place to get away. So I took the liberty of taking it away from you. My dad bought the land off of some old dead-beat farmer when I asked him. So, I now own this field, and even the road we’re standing on. I have the ability to call the cops on you for trespassing if you so little as step a foot on my land. And I don’t think your dad would be happy to pick you up from the police station, do you?” 

With his final remark, Brad took a step back and in one fluid motion threw the lighter onto the shoes, successfully lighting them on fire. With that, he climbed back into the truck, the rest of the gang following him. 

The truck drove a short way down the road before turning back around. “I suggest you leave before I call the cops,” was all Kate heard before the truck revved off, throwing up dirt in its wake, leaving her standing there, staring at the burning shoes. 

Slowly, Kate picked up her backpack that had been discarded on the ground and made her way down the dirt road, heading back towards the main road. She didn't bother putting out the shoes, figuring the fire would die out eventually.

For a second time, Kate didn’t feel any emotion. She wasn’t sad she had lost her safe space. She expected to lose it eventually, she never had anything good for too long. She wasn’t mad at her old ‘friends’, they definitely weren’t even ‘friends’ anymore, she always knew they hated her. She just wondered why? What pushed them to hate her so much. Or more so what pushed Brad to hate her so much, because he was obviously the ringleader of this all. 

Eventually, Kate just shrugged it off. What happened, happened. And she couldn’t change it, she might as well accept it and deal with it. She had been dealing with things and adapting her whole life, this was nothing new.

She figured it was okay timing anyway. The letter’s announcement was finally sinking in and the knowledge she was going off to Juilliard at the end of the school year was almost incomprehensible. She would have had to say goodbye to her dancing spot anyway, now it just wasn't her choice when to do it. She’d just have to find somewhere else to dance for the last couple of months left before she was gone. 

Since going to her house wasn’t an option, and with the bruises that covered her body inhibiting her from going into town while it was still light out, Kate decided the best thing would be to just sit on the side of the road for a while. People rarely drove down this section of road and she needed a place to rest after the day’s events. 

When she sat down, everything kind of hit her at once. Her father assaulted her again after finding out she applied to college. Nothing new. Her friends were extreme jerks. Nothing new. Her dance shoes were burned by said friends. New, but expected. She lost her safe space. New, but predictable. She got accepted to Juilliard. Totally unexpected and new. 

In general, today was really eventful. There were the bad parts, which made up the majority, but Kate was used to that, it didn’t really affect her anymore. And then there were the good parts, like being accepted to Juilliard. And while those good things rarely happened, it just made them that much more special when they finally did. 

After a small rest Kate finally got up, figuring that wherever she was going, it would be best to get there before it was pitch black. She simply started heading in the direction opposite of her house figuring if she didn’t find something along the way town was in this direction. 

After about a mile of walking, Kate heard a truck slow down and approach her. She had already dealt with her fair share of stalkers in trucks for the day so as she turned around she was completely prepared to either hold her own, or sprint for her life. Neither one really phased Kate, she was used to adapting.

The absolute last thing she expected though, was to turn around and see 'her'. Kate couldn’t believe 'she' was there. Could today seriously get any more complicated? Now Kate really was prepared to full-on sprint, to avoid the situation that would occur from talking to 'her'. 

But, like always, Kate just couldn’t bring herself to run away. Something in her just wanted to talk to her so badly. 

'Her', or 'she', had a name, a beautiful one at that. Samantha Lee Collins. The story of Kate and Sam was a pretty complicated one, but hey, every part of Kate’s life was complicated. 

As Sam pulled over and stepped out of her truck Kate’s decision was made, she would stay and talk, because she could never really resist Sam anyway.  
Obviously, as soon as Sam approached Kate the former freaked out a little. At this point, Kate had bruises all over, a slight limp leftover from her dad's beating that had started to act up from all the walking she had done, a cut on her left cheek that was reopened due to the slap from Brad, and a red face also due to Brad’s slap. Basically, she was a bit of a mess. 

“Oh my gosh, Kate! What happened to you? Are you alright? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Kate chuckled a little at the number of questions, causing a dull pain in her side from a bruise. Calming down a little at the fact Kate didn’t seem to be in mortal danger, Sam took a deep breath but didn’t get rid of the worried look she was giving Kate.  
Realizing that she still needed to answer Sam’s questions, but knowing it would take a while, Kate said the next best thing she could think of. “Hi.” 

Sam visibly exhaled, noticeably calming down, at the fact that Kate was talking to her. They hadn’t left things on the best note and Sam was just glad Kate seemed willing to speak to her again. Happy that Kate wasn't running away like she had done multiple times before when Sam tried to confront her. 

“Hi, to you too, Kate. Now, are you going to finally answer my questions?” Sam asked, a slightly hopeful look on her face. 

Now it was Kate’s turn to exhale, but this was more of a sigh, knowing she was going to have to explain a lot. “Yeah, I’ll try my best, just be patient with me, please? It’s going to be a lot, and to fully explain everything I’m going to have to tell you a lot.” 

Sam nodded, she would wait as long as it took for Kate to tell her anything. “Of course, let's get in my truck, I feel like this is going to take a while and a good drive would be nice.” Kate just nodded along, going to sit in the passenger's seat. 

It had been a few months since Kate last saw Sam, and she was a little surprised that the girl just happened to be driving down the old dirt road. She was even more surprised by how calm Sam seemed to be. She didn't seem to harbor any negative feelings towards Kate like the latter would have expected. She seemed to almost be happy that she had found Kate. Nonetheless, this was going to be big, Kate was finally going to talk to Sam about everything, and when she said everything she meant everything.


	2. The Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Backstory of how Kate and Sam met and an explanation of why Kate was a little scared to deal with Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another warning because this chapter does include a description of abuse, worse than the last chapter, but still nothing too graphic I don't think.

After they were both settled and buckled in, and Sam had finally started back down the road, Kate cleared her throat, preparing herself to tell the long, drawn-out, story. 

The place to start would probably be with Kate figuring out she liked girls. Kate had always kind of known it, when she was younger she always admired girls a little too much. And as she grew up and started to develop crushes they were all on girls. 

Kate accepted it, there wasn’t much inner turmoil. But it’s not like she ever told anyone. For her parents, it would just be another reason to hate and abuse her. And Kate just never had any friends she was close enough to talk about those things with. 

It didn’t matter much anyway. Yeah, Kate would get crushes, she was still human, but she knew there was no way anything would ever happen. She couldn’t drag someone into her home life. She couldn't risk gaining something she wanted because it would just be one more thing to take away. Everything she wanted always went away. 

She wanted a loving family, that went away quickly. She wanted friends, her parents made sure that didn’t happen. Finally, she learned not to want things, if she didn’t want them they couldn’t be taken from her. Then she found dance, and the only thing she wanted was to escape. The chances of that happening were looking better, but Kate didn’t hope, she never hoped. 

So, Kate distanced herself, she was smart in school but made sure to get a few problems wrong each time. Her grades were high enough to get into her favorite colleges, but not enough to get attention. She didn’t make friends, except for the lame excuses of people who always seemed to follow her and called her a friend. 

Obviously, they weren’t really friends, shown by their actions at the field just a short time earlier. Kate kept to herself. She went to school, did the work, then she left. There was no time for socializing, which was fine with Kate, she was used to being alone by now, it had become routine. Then Sam came along, and she just had to break that routine.

By her junior year, Kate had stopped having crushes. It was probably because of the fact she mostly stopped caring about anything, but again she didn’t mind. It was easier when you didn’t have to worry about getting attached. 

So when senior year rolled around, Kate was just ready to get it over with. She was one step away from a chance at being free, and she was going to take it. Kate planned and prepared., she made sure to keep her grades as high as possible and to ace all SATs or other tests that colleges would look at. She made sure to save as much money as possible, also applying for scholarships since she had no way to pay for college by herself. 

The plan was going well, her grades were higher than normal and she had managed to save a decent amount of money. It was around the middle of her senior year in English class when things changed. When they were assigned a project that required two people. 

Usually, Kate could get away with doing it by herself, seeing as there was an odd number of students in her class. Unfortunately, (or fortunately in the grand scheme of things) a student had just transferred into the class a few days prior and now she would have to work with someone. Kate didn’t mind working with someone, it was nice to only do half the work. But when you deal with other people, you deal with their questions and their prying, which meant Kate preferred to work alone. 

When she brought this up with the teacher, asking if she could do the project alone, he denied the request and said 'tough luck', which led to Kate being forced to work with someone. She didn’t really care who became her partner, she didn’t have any expectations, so when the teacher started calling out the assigned partners she didn’t pay much attention. 

She caught the girl's name, even if she didn’t care that didn’t mean Kate wasn’t observant. She was paired with someone named Samantha Collins. Kate couldn’t really think of a face for the name so she just waited, knowing they would find her eventually. 

And they did, after the teacher had dismissed the students saying to meet with partners for the last ten minutes of class. Kate was just lounging in her chair, waiting for whoever was going to approach her, when Sam walked up. 

Kate immediately noticed and appreciated how beautiful Sam was. Her golden blonde hair was thrown up in a messy bun with strands sticking out around her ears. She was wearing nice light blue skinny jeans with a blue-tinted blouse tucked into them. She had an athletic body, probably from playing a range of sports, and her clothes complimented that. She had black glasses on, that Kate would later learn Sam rarely wore. 

She looked to be about 5’6” which was a nice height compared to Kate’s 5’8”. Kate usually wore sunglasses in class, partly to add to her ‘don’t mess with me’ aesthetic, more so to help hide the bruises she had most days. Because of this, Sam thankfully didn’t know that Kate had been staring. 

Kate sat up a little now that Sam had arrived, and gave a half-hearted smile. Sam just sent her a beaming one in return. 

“So, we’re partners, obviously,” Sam rambled a little. Kate had to admit it was slightly endearing. “There’s no time left right now to talk, so I was thinking we could meet at the library sometime. When do you have free periods?” She tilted her head at the end of her sentence and Kate was overwhelmed by the effect this girl seemed to be having on her.

“I have free periods second and tenth and I don’t mind missing lunch if that’s better for you.” Kate was almost always in the library during tenth period seeing as it was the last period of the day and most people would leave school early. Kate didn’t enjoy school, but leaving early usually meant going back home early, and she avoided that at all costs. 

“That’s great, I have tenth free too! We can have that be our usual work time, but it’d be nice to meet at lunch today to get everything set.” Sam replied with a smile on her face, seemingly happy their schedules matched. “If that’s alright with you, of course.” She rushed to add, which made Kate crack a little smile. 

“Yeah, that’s fine with me, I don’t usually have plans at lunch.” Since they were seniors, Kate was allowed to go off campus for lunch if she desired, but seeing as she didn’t have a car or friends she actually liked, that wasn’t really an option. Instead, she was usually stuck eating with her ‘friends’ and listening to their rude ‘joking’ insults. 

After agreeing to meet up in the library at lunch to get the project sorted out, class ended and Sam walked out, Kate watching as she did. She couldn't help but feel like this girl was going to mean something to her. Once Sam had rounded the corner Kate grabbed her things and left the room. 

Lunchtime came around and the two girls met as they had planned. They figured out the basis of the project and decided to meet every other day at tenth period for the project. The project wasn’t due until around a month after it was assigned so Sam figured they didn't need to spend every day working on it.

Kate had wanted to get it done as soon as possible, but she couldn't exactly argue with Sam’s logic, or the little pout she put on when she saw Kate about to object. It was nothing against Sam, Kate simply liked the solitude she had when no one cared. Having Sam there meant someone cared, no matter if it was just because they were partners in a project. Kate was also a little worried at the amount that Sam had made her feel in the short time she was around. 

But as they started working together more and more, Kate started to enjoy Sam’s company and let her guard down little by little. Sam was obviously beautiful on the outside, but she was beautiful on the inside too. She was intelligent, she had a great sense of humor, and her laugh had become one of Kate’s favorite things. 

Soon enough Kate realized what was happening: for the first time in two years she had a crush. As soon as she realized what was happening Kate did what she knew was best, she distanced herself and started to put her walls back up. It was gradual, first, she stopped joking around, choosing to go straight to work instead. Then, she stopped smiling and laughing at Sam’s jokes, which was pretty hard considering they were actually funny. 

Still, Kate went to every meeting they had, even if she wanted to distance herself she was going to finish the project. Plus, she couldn't help indulging herself in the little joy she found with Sam. Things got a little awkward at times but Kate tried to brush it off. She knew that this was for the best, Sam was too good for her anyway, Kate couldn’t taint her with someone broken like herself. 

There was around half a month left for the project after Kate started distancing herself, and the girls were almost finished. They had about a week's worth of work to finish and then they would be done. Kate could go back to having no one and nothing to lose. 

Everything was going well until halfway through the week. Kate and Sam had met the previous day, meaning Kate had just spent last period in the library without Sam's company and was on her way home. Her parents had been away on a business trip for most of the month only getting back late last night and Kate had left early enough that morning that she didn’t see them. 

As soon as Kate walked in the door she knew something was off. It was almost as if everything was too quiet. She continued to the living room, still a little wary of what she might find. When she got there Kate was hit with an overwhelming stench of alcohol. She immediately knew what that meant, her father had been drinking, and nothing good ever came from that. 

When she looked around she found the source of the odor. Her father was sitting on the couch, multiple bottles of various alcohols surrounding him. Kate knew the best thing to do would be to leave, so that’s what she attempted, but just as she was about to make it out of the room her father spoke up. 

“Where do you think you’re going? Get back in here you little piece of shit before I make you.” Kate made her way back, knowing that disobeying him would only be worse. There was never a way to escape without things just becoming worse. 

As she walked back into the room her father got up and walked towards her. “Did you take care of everything around the house while we were away?” Without waiting for an answer he continued on. “You better have, or I’ll have to teach you a lesson.” Her father threatened. When she replied with a quiet ‘yes sir’ that seemed to anger him. He roughly grabbed her by the chin, forcing Kate to look at him. “Look at me when you're speaking. I am your father and you shall treat me with respect.” 

As if to prove a point he slapped her hard on the side of the face, causing her head to snap to right. She was so fed up with the way he treated her and a little delirious from the pain that she mumbled a quiet ‘bitch’ under her breath.

As soon as the words left her mouth Kate regretted it. Her father immediately let go of her face and for a second she thought maybe he hadn’t heard her, but when she felt a punch to the face, Kate knew things were going to go downhill fast. 

Of course she was right and after a few more punches to the face, he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, slamming Kate into the wall. He punched her in the gut repeatedly, causing her to bend over in an attempt to protect herself. He continued to beat her, yelling insults in her face while he threw her to the ground, kicking her all over before suddenly stopping. 

Kate let out a sigh of relief, thinking that he had gotten bored and was done. But as soon as she tried to get up, she felt a sharp pain in her back, causing her to wince and fall back on the ground. When Kate finally looked up she was met with the sight of her father swinging a belt down on her back. She winced again, already knowing that it was going to leave marks. 

He continued to whip her with the belt, throwing in the occasional kick or insult. By the time he was finished Kate could barely keep her eyes open and the room was spinning. “That should show you to respect me when I speak to you. You better be off the ground and out of the room before I get back.” And with that final remark, her father stormed out of the house slamming the door. 

She figured he was going to some bar where he would most likely have more drinks. Kate knew she had to get off the floor before he came back, but the room was spinning and she was floating in and out of consciousness. Eventually, her body just gave out and she passed out on the floor. 

She woke up a couple of hours later and while she was disoriented at first, an attempt at moving reminded her why she was on the floor. Realizing her father could come back at any moment, and knowing if he did she may actually be beaten to death, she tried her best to get up. 

After a couple of failed attempts, she managed to stand. As soon as she went to step forward her legs gave out. Thankfully, there was a table she could lean on for support to stop her fall. Once she regained her balance Kate continued down the hall to her room, glad it was on the first floor and she didn't have to go up the stairs.

After finally managing to make it into her room, she almost immediately collapsed on her bed face first. Everything hurt and all she wanted to do was go to sleep. But Kate knew she couldn't sleep right now, seeing as she most likely had a concussion and there was no one to wake her up periodically. No one that would care if she never woke up again. Slowly but surely, she managed to sit up on the bed, leaning against the wall for support. 

Besides the concussion, Kate figured she probably had a sprained left wrist. Her ribs didn't seem to be broken, but they were probably pretty bruised. She had a limp in her right leg that would probably go away within a week. Her back stung and she assumed the belt had left some open cuts that would develop into scars eventually. She had a black eye, and a cut on her cheek. 

After a couple of attempts, Kate eventually managed to stumble to the bathroom, cleaning her facial wounds and putting her arm in a temporary sling. Cleaning up her back the best she could, Kate changed into a pair of loose-fitting pajamas. Finally, she grabbed a towel and an instant ice pack for her head.

When she made it back to her room and checked the bedside table she saw that it read 9:02 pm. She groaned under her breath, knowing she would probably have to stay up for a while to be safe with her concussion. She didn't have many options on what to do in the meantime. She didn't have a phone, seeing as that was an extra bill she would need to pay, and there wasn't anyone she ever really needed to call. There weren't many other entertainment sources in her room for the same reason, they were unnecessary and costly. 

After thinking over all her options Kate decided to read a book, one of her favorites, The Beginning of Everything. She had read the book a couple of times before. The reasoning behind her love for it being how the book ended. It didn't have a traditional happy ending where the characters fall in love and end up together. It showed that life wasn't always fairytales and happy endings and Kate related to that. 

As she settled down in bed, book in hand, and read over one of the saddest parts, she thought about her own life. About how the universe had given her the short end of the stick. How everything in her life just always had to turn into such crap. For once why couldn't she have a good moment, a time when she was actually happy?  
Kate eventually fell asleep, her head laying haphazardly on the book, and thoughts swirling through her brain. 

When Kate woke up the next day she had a raging headache. She could barely keep her eyes open as she quickly but quietly made her way to the bathroom. No matter how much her head hurt, Kate had enough sense to know things would get worse if her father was disturbed by any noise she made.

As soon as she got to the bathroom she quickly locked the door and went to the cabinet, opening it up and grabbing a small medicine bottle. She took two pills out of the container and swallowed them without water. She was used to taking medicine for the pain inflicted on her by now. So used to it that she didn't take pills as much now, having become used to the pain she suffered through on a daily basis. Headaches were a different story though, and she would definitely take medicine for those. 

After heading back down the hallway and re-entering her room, Kate glanced over at her clock. When she saw the time she half-heartedly cursed under her breath. It was twelve in the afternoon and there was no point in trying to get to school now, seeing as it would have been over by the time she made it.

She carefully made her way downstairs, wary of a run-in with either of her parents. After realizing no one was home, she made her way over to the house phone, calling the school as her mom and letting them know “her daughter, Kate Edwardson, was sick and wouldn't be in school”. She wasn't surprised that both of her parents weren’t home. Her father had his business to pretend to run, and for a drug addict, her mother was surprisingly social.

Her mother was almost always out of the house, out with friends or going on exotic vacations where she more than likely cheated on Kate's father. Their family was messed up in more than one way and Kate was surprised that they had kept up the ‘perfect family’ image they had for so long.

Kate's headache had subsided and while she just wanted to go back to bed the smart thing to do was to get stuff done around the house. So, with a small limp in her right leg and her left arm in a makeshift sling, Kate did as much as she could around the house. She paid the bills, cleaned up her father’s beer bottles, vacuumed the best she could, did her homework from the night before, and did the laundry. 

By the time she was finished, it was eight o’clock at night and Kate was beat. She went to her bedroom and practically pounced on her bed. She was still dressed in pajamas from the night before so all she had to do was crawl under the covers. Carefully, she took her arm out of the sling, cradling it against her chest until she grabbed a pillow to put underneath it for protection. When she was finally in a comfortable position that didn't hurt her back, she almost immediately fell asleep, not even worrying about the day she would face tomorrow. 

Kate naturally woke up at six o’clock, not much earlier than usual, especially considering that she went to bed early the previous evening. Kate was naturally a morning person so it wasn't that hard to get out of bed. She quietly took a quick shower and got changed, not bothering with makeup because she very rarely wore it and the cut on her cheek wasn't too noticeable. After having a quick breakfast of peanut butter toast she was out the door. The walk to school normally took her around forty-five minutes, seeing as Kate was in shape and used to walking. With her hurt leg, Kate expected it to take closer to an hour.

When she arrived at the school she was around half an hour early. She gradually made her way to the library, the place she would often go when she had nowhere else to be. Kate slipped on her usual sunglasses, thankful that they hid her black eye decently well. 

She had worn a long-sleeved shirt and leggings to cover all the bruises she had scattered around her body. She hadn't worn her sling in an attempt to not draw any attention to herself. In doing so, Kate left her arm pretty vulnerable and it had a slight ache to it. Nothing Kate wasn't used to and couldn't tolerate. She just kept her hand in her pocket and arm pressed close to her body. 

Eventually, the bell rang and Kate went to first period like normal. She had a little bit of homework that she missed, nothing too major. The day was passing normally and Kate thought for once that everything might go smoothly. But who was she kidding, her and luck didn't fit in the same sentence, so of course, something had to go badly.

It happened during lunch. Kate had ditched her ‘friends’ and opted for the library, knowing she really couldn't deal with them that day. She grabbed her food and went up there, eating in peace for a while. It wasn't until halfway through when she was approached.

Of course, it was none other than Sam in her usual breathtaking form. She had a pair of skinny jeans on like normal, navy blue on this particular day, with a cozy sweater that fit perfectly. She had a small look of concern on her face as she advanced towards Kate. 

Kate was leisurely eating her sandwich when Sam came and sat down at her table. Kate wasn't super surprised, thinking that maybe Sam just wanted to work on the project, but as she sat down and looked at Kate expectantly, the brunette figured that maybe something else was wrong.

“Did you want to work on the project? Or did you come up to me for other reasons?” Kate questioned, once Sam still hadn't said anything. Figuring that if she wanted to know the reasoning behind Sam's appearance, she would need to start the conversation.

“Oh, uhm, no I wasn't thinking about working on the project. Well, not really, at least. I was just wondering where you were yesterday, and if you were alright?” Sam responded, looking genuinely concerned. Kate had completely forgotten that she was supposed to meet with Sam to work on the project yesterday. She was a little too busy trying not to worry about the dull pain that was radiating from all over her body. “You weren't here last period yesterday and after twenty minutes I went down to the office and they said you were absent. Are you okay? Why weren't you here?”

Of course, Sam just had to care. Why did everything always have to go so bad? Kate had come to accept the fact that she wouldn't be able to have any kind of relationship with Sam, but here Sam was, showing just how much she cared and making it harder than it should be. Why couldn't Sam just not care like everyone else in her life? Now she was going to have to come up with some lie that would hopefully get Sam off her case. 

“Oh, I just wasn't feeling well Wednesday night and I still didn't feel well yesterday morning, so I just decided to stay home. We can work on the stuff I missed right now if that's good with you. That way we can get this over with sooner than later.” It wasn't a complete lie. Kate really wasn't feeling well either of those days, the only difference was that she didn't feel well because she was physically hurt, not sick. 

Sam seemed to agree with the idea of doing the project now, glancing over the slightly rude comment about finishing as soon as possible, and they both took out the materials. Kate quickly finished her lunch and they got to work. Everything was going well for a while, they were getting a lot of work done and had a sort of flow going. Then someone bumped into Kate's side carelessly and moved her arm into a weird position.

She immediately gasped and cradled her arm into her side rocking back and forth subtly to try and ease the pain. Sam looked up from her work a little wide-eyed as if to ask what was going on. “Kate what happened, is your arm okay?” she asked gently. 

Biting her lip to distract her from the pain Kate came up with an answer quickly. “Yeah it's just that yesterday when I was sick, I must have been delirious because I fell out of bed and onto my arm. It's nothing too bad, and it will probably be okay in a couple of days, someone just bumped me and it hit my arm in exactly the wrong place.” Kate was surprised at how easily she came up with that excuse. 

Sam seemed to buy it and let out a quiet airy laugh, probably at the idea of Kate just falling onto the floor. Kate was fine with Sam laughing at her, as long as that meant that she bought the excuse. They went back to the project, working in mostly silence seeing as they were doing separate tasks they would combine later. 

There were about fifteen minutes left of lunch when something else came up. Kate had bent down to grab something out of her bag on the floor. Her shirt must have ridden up because she heard a quiet gasp come from Sam. When Kate sat up and sent a questioning glance towards Sam, wondering what had caused that reaction, she was met with concerned and confused eyes. 

Kate still didn't know what was wrong until Sam spoke up. “Kate, why do you have a huge bruise and cuts on your side? They look really bad, like they hurt a lot?” Of course, Kate couldn't tell her the truth, that her father had beaten her like he’d been doing for most of her life. So Kate tried her best to just continue the lie that she had created. 

“Oh, like I told you I was sick yesterday and fell over a table. I must have just hit my side when I hit my arm. It's no big deal it really doesn't hurt that much.” Kate went back to her work, expecting Sam to have done the same, but when she looked up Sam was still staring at her. A look of slight anger, but mostly confusion, painted onto her face. Kate didn't know why seeing as she had answered her question. 

It took a second until Kate realized she had said two different reasons for why she was injured. Sam had caught her right in the middle of a lie. Kate didn't know how, she had practice lying and hiding things for almost all her life and now all of a sudden she was messing up. Kate blamed the fact that she was too distracted by the project, and the fact that it always felt weird lying to Sam, to explain it. 

“Kate, I know for a fact that you gave me two different reasons for why you’re injured. Why did you lie to me, and what's the real reason you're all beat up.” Sam said with a stern look, but some hurt hidden behind it. Before Kate could respond Sam continued, “Did you get into a fight of some kind? Do you need help getting out of trouble?” 

Kate didn't know how to respond at first. It's not like she could just tell Sam, could she? No, the whole reason she was distancing herself was so Sam wouldn't be dragged into her horrible life. She couldn't force Sam to deal with all of her problems, Kate was dealing just fine on her own and she only had a while to go before she was out of here and away from her wretched family. She did her best to try and get Sam to drop the subject. 

“No offense Sam, ‘cause I appreciate you for asking, but I'd like it if you’d mind your own business. I don't need help and I'm dealing with it just fine.” This response seemed to have the opposite effect on Sam and she just became more interested. 

“So there is something going on that you aren't telling me! Kate, I care about you, you can trust me, what’s going on? Maybe I could help, but I need to know what it is first.” This angered Kate. Of course she trusted Sam, and it was nice to know that she cared, but there was a reason behind her secrecy. Sam didn't deserve to get involved, and the fact that she wasn't relenting was starting to get onto Kate's nerves. 

She took a deep breath before responding in an attempt to control her tone. “I appreciate that you care, Sam, I really do, but I'm politely asking you to drop it. It's none of your business and I don't feel like sharing it with you.” Immediately, Sam responded. 

“And I'm saying that I can help Kate, you just have to tell me what it is. Stop being so stubborn and just tell me.” She raised her tone at the end, which annoyed Kate even more. Why couldn't Sam just drop it, Kate had made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. 

“Sam, I'm telling you one last time, just fucking drop it,” Kate growled lowly. She was starting to get really fed up with Sam, no matter how good her intentions were. She was being stubborn for a good reason and it was to protect Sam. 

“I'm telling you that I can help. Stop trying to lie to me and just let me help.” Sam yelled back, her voice rising louder.

“Stop thinking you know everything, you don't! You’re not gonna help me because I don't need your help. I don't need you!” The last part was a lie but at this point, Kate was doing whatever she could to get Sam to drop it. Before Sam could reply the librarian shushed them, bringing them both back to their surroundings. They couldn't talk about this here and they both knew that this conversation wasn't going to continue once they left the library.

Kate was the one to continue once they both had calmed down. “Look, Sam, I know that you care, it's obvious that you do by how much you’re trying to get the truth out of me. But I'm asking you if you really do care, then just drop it. It will benefit everyone if you just leave it alone. I can't drag you into it and you don't deserve that, I'm not the kind of person you deserve. This obviously isn't gonna go well so I'll just finish the project for us by myself. Don't worry I'll make sure you get credit and we get a great grade. It'll be best if you just forget that you knew me. I hope for the best for you Sam but please don't try to deal with my business, I'm handling it fine right now.” 

With that, she quickly but calmly packed up her stuff along with the rest of the project. She was about to walk away when Sam grabbed her by the wrist to hold her in place. “Look, Kate, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't try to meddle in your business, but just know you can always come to me if you need to, alright. I'll always be there for you.” All Kate could do was nod as she turned around and made her way out of the library. She was just going to head to her next class and wait there, seeing as she had to get out of the library. 

As Kate was walking down the hallway she could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes. It frustrated Kate, that she had gone this long without crying, no matter how shitty her situation seemed, but all it took was one girl to get past those barriers Kate had tried so hard to build. All it took was one, stupidly amazing girl, to make Kate feel again. And all it took was one stupid life to make sure that Kate would never get to be with her. It just wasn't fair, but then again when did Kate ever know fair. Her life was a series of unfortunate circumstances that she just had to learn to live with. 

After school ended that day and Kate went home, she automatically finished the project, not wanting it to remind her of Sam, and how they would probably never talk again. Sam tried multiple times to reconnect with Kate but the latter was always able to push her away. Eventually, Sam accepted the fact that Kate wasn't going to open up to her and she stopped trying to reach out. Kate was relieved and disappointed all at the same time. 

Relieved, because now she wouldn't have to worry about finding the strength to ignore Sam each time she tried to talk to her. Disappointed, because that just showed that Sam had given up like everyone else in Kate's life. Kate knew it was her fault that Sam stopped trying, it had been exactly what she asked the girl to do. But, no matter what, the fact Kate caused the split didn't mean it hurt less when Sam actually stopped.


	3. Living in the Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kate realizes that some risks are worth taking and that some people are worth letting in. She may be able to do things on her own, but she's realized she doesn't want to anymore. Now when she has someone like Sam to help her out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, pretty much pure fluff
> 
> No descriptions of abuse only allusions to it

By the time Kate had finished explaining the whole story to Sam, she realized that they were now parked by a cliff. When she looked expectantly over at Sam all the girl did was hop out of the car and motion for Kate to follow. Of course, Kate did, climbing out of the car before going to sit next to Sam, who had already made herself comfortable on the rock edge. 

It was just about to get dark and there was a beautiful sunset gracing the horizon. Both girls spent a minute or two just looking out into the distance, contemplating what to say. They sat close to each other, hands almost touching, but there was still space between them. As if there was this barrier just barely separating them. It was Sam who ended up speaking first.

“I liked you, did you know that?” The confession hung in the air for a moment, breaking the bubble of silence they had. “I thought I seemed obvious, I was so captivated by you as a whole. You are indescribable Kate, I cannot put into words how much you fascinated me. There are so many hidden parts to you, secrets you keep, feeling you push to the side. I wanted to be there for you. You were struggling, I could see that. All I wanted was for you to let me in, let me help you. But you just couldn't do that, you couldn't let me in. 

“I get it in a way, why you didn't tell me. You were trying to protect me from all of the baggage you carry. But that wasn't your decision to make, you shouldn't get to make that choice for me. I wouldn't have cared, Kate! So what your parents suck, that just means that you’re a strong enough person to get through it. You are wonderful in more ways than I can explain. I just wish you had let me in before.” 

Kate didn't miss the fact that Sam was speaking in the past tense, liked, wanted, had. Kate expected it, she didn't expect anyone to put up with her after all the attempts she made to distance herself. But there was that small pang in her chest, caused by the ‘what if’s, or the ‘could have been’. If she had just thrown caution to the wind and let herself be with Sam. 

“Yeah, I wish I had let you in before too. I can't even imagine how things would be, but you’re right. I just couldn't let myself bring you into the terrible world I deal with. I couldn't sacrifice your safety and well being just to give me happiness. I've dealt with having no one for so long it seemed like the better choice at the time. That pushing you away would protect you.” 

Sam nodded slightly as if she could at least understand where Kate's thought process had been at the time. “I understand that Kate. I understand that you’ve never had someone that cared about you; that the idea was so foreign you didn't know what to do. But that wasn't fully your decision to make. Like I said, I don't care about your parents or home life. Well, I care about your safety, but you shouldn't let your parents define you. You are so much better than them Kate, you have so much potential and you shouldn't have to give things up just because they don't realize what an amazing daughter they have.”

Sam turned to face Kate and took both hands in her own. “I still care about you Kate, it's why I stopped and picked you up this afternoon. Even when you pushed me away I never gave up on you. Even when I finally relented and stopped trying to talk to you I still cared. I’ve never stopped caring Kate.” 

Kate was surprised, to say the least, and all she did for a couple of seconds was stare into Sam's eyes that were swirling with emotions. She was a little shocked to hear that Sam still cared. It was a relief but at the same time also made her nervous. Kate had realized a lot in the past few hours, and one of those things was that she should stop caring so much about the consequences and just live in the present. For so long, Kate had been focused on the future so much, she hadn't been living in the present. She hadn't been taking chances, and now was the time to start. 

In a moment of courage, and maybe even a little insanity, Kate took a chance and leaned in quickly, capturing Sam’s lips in hers. It was a passionate hurried kiss, making up for lost time, but all Kate was focused on was Sam. The feeling of Sam’s face in her hands and the taste of her lips, and the way she smelled faintly of perfume and fresh spring nights. 

When they finally broke apart Kate kept her eyes closed, worried that when she opened them everything would be back to its normal horrible ways. She only finally relented when she felt soft hands caressing her face, urging her to look up. The first thing she saw was Sam gazing back at her with a small content smile on her face. Immediately, Kate was relieved that she hadn't just ruined everything.

“You know Kate,” Sam said, pulling Kate closer so her head rested against the blonde’s chest. “I've been waiting to do that for a long time and I can say that it fully exceeded my expectations.” There was a joking but full tone to her voice that soothed Kate, glad that they were in a good place right now. 

Kate had yet to say anything since the kiss and she figured it was time to tell Sam what she thought. But as she tried to think of what to say all she could do was let out a content sigh. Sam pulled her closer, almost as if she understood that for once in her life Kate was finally happy. It didn't matter what her father had done in the past or what was going to happen with her life in the future. Kate was in the present, and she was determined to live it to the fullest, especially when she had someone like Sam next to her.   
“This is my spot,” Sam broke the comfortable silence after a while, snuggling closer to Kate when a gust of wind blew by. “I always come here when I need to think or just get away for a little while. I came here a lot when you were avoiding me.” Kate shifted a little, still not proud that she had pushed Sam away. “But that's in the past now, everything's okay and we’re good.” 

After a little while longer just sitting on the rock appreciating the view, both girls decided it was best to head back to the truck. Once Kate got into the passenger's seat the events of the day came back to her. It started with her dad finding out about her college applications and beating her up because of it. Then when she escaped her horrendous house, Brad and his posse followed her to the field and slapped her, burned her shoes, and banned her from ever going there again. But what she lost was more than made up for in what she gained. 

Kate gained Sam and if that was the only good thing she ever got in her life Kate would be content. She had learned to deal with having nothing so that made the good things even greater. And Sam was definitely one of the good things.

Once all her thoughts had settled, Kate realized that she didn't have anywhere to go. Her house seemed like a really bad option and the field was no longer a choice. Almost right on cue, Sam asked, “So, where am I taking you?” Kate was quiet for a moment trying to think of anywhere that she would be able to go. During the pause in questioning, Sam picked up on the fact that Kate didn't have anywhere to go. “Okay, since it seems like you have nowhere to go you’re coming home with me.” Right as Kate was about to argue and deny the offer Sam continued. “I'm not taking no for an answer, my parents don't mind at all and they'll probably love you. I am definitely not letting you go somewhere that puts you in danger and you don't seem to have any better options.” Sam had one eyebrow raised, a challenging look on her face. 

Kate relented and soon they were on their way to Sam's house. When they arrived and Sam had parked the truck in the driveway they both just sat in the car for a moment. When Kate gazed up at the house in front of her she had a pang of longing in her chest. It was a cute two-story cottage that even from the outside seemed much more comfortable than her house. It was painted a nice pale blue that complimented the freshly trimmed lawn. 

Kate suddenly started to feel a little nervous. As soon as she looked over at Sam she realized it was because she was about to meet the girl's parents. She wanted to make a good impression, seeing as she liked their daughter and all. 

“Maybe I should just get out and walk home. I mean it's not that far away, just a couple of miles. I really don't want to intrude or anything. Yeah, I'll just go-,” Kate said as she started to open the truck door but was swiftly stopped by a hand on her forearm. When she looked over at Sam she saw a fond smile gracing her lips. In one fell swoop, Sam leaned over and gently kissed Kate. Immediately, Kate relaxed into the kiss and closed the door, turning her body to grip Sam's face in her hands. She slowly moved her fingers up and down Sam’s jaw, just cherishing the feeling of Sam's soft, warm cheeks. 

This kiss was much slower and sweeter than their first. Before, it was about expressing their feelings as quickly as possible in a way words couldn't. Now, they both knew the feelings were reciprocated and they could just focus on cherishing the memory. Burning the feeling of each other's lips into their brain. 

Once they separated, Kate was significantly calmer and ready to go in and face whatever awaited her. As long as she had Sam on her side, she was invincible. They both stepped out of the truck at the same time, Sam locking it when both doors had closed and Kate had gotten her backpack. Kate took a deep breath before making her way to the front door. Sam gave her a reassuring smile before opening the door and calling out a loud, “Mom, Dad, I’m home!” Sam continued through the entryway into the living room, Kate following close behind her. 

After a second, Kate heard some shuffling from the kitchen and out walked both of Sam's parents. Her mom had light brown, shoulder-length hair, and a thin frame. Her father had short, spiky, hair the same bright blonde as Sam’s. He wore a pair of black glasses on his face and seemed to have a semi-muscular build. They walked out together and Kate could automatically tell they fit together. 

She had seen the way her parents acted. They weren't in love at all, at least not anymore. But Sam's parents, on the other hand, you could tell they belonged together. It was like they just exuded a certain loving energy. One that Kate hoped to have someday.

When they walked into the living room and spotted Kate, they both gave Sam a questioning and expectant look. Sam quickly stepped in and started to introduce them. 

“Mom, Dad, this is my good friend Kate,” she said with a slight smile. “And Kate, this is my mom and dad.” Once she finished the introductions Kate smiled and shook both of their hands. 

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. and Mr. Collins,” Kate said politely while Sam just rolled her eyes at the formality. 

“Please, just call us Mary and Dave. I'm glad to have you over, even if it would have been nice if Sam had let us know in advance so we could prepare,” her mother said while looking over at Sam with a faux stern look. Sam just stuck out her tongue in retaliation. 

“Yeah, sorry for that, it was kinda last minute but Kate didn't have a place to stay and I know that you’re both such amazing and understanding parents that you wouldn't mind me inviting her over to spend the night,” Sam said laying it on thick. 

Now it was her mother's turn to roll her eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I'm such an amazing mom. It's fine for now, you’re both just in time for dinner. Go get cleaned up and then come back down here and we can eat.” Sam gave her mom a loving smile and kiss on the cheek before grabbing Kate by the arm and pulling her up the stairs. 

Kate and Dave had just been watching the interaction with full smiles, completely amused by the mother-daughter dynamic. When the two girls reached the top of the stairs Sam steered them to the left, down a short hallway, with a door at the end. Once they got to the door, Sam opened it to reveal a nice modern bathroom. They both walked in and got right to washing their hands. Kate was hungry seeing as she hadn't eaten since her lunch at school, and she had walked a long way. 

Just as she was about to turn and walk out of the room, relatively confident in her ability to make it back to the kitchen, she was pulled back and turned around. She came face to face with Sam and was given a short but sweet kiss before she motioned for Kate to sit on the counter. 

“Come here silly, we have to get you all cleaned up, you still have your battle scars all open and dirty. Let Dr. Collins fix you up.” Kate just laughed at the dramatics but obliged nonetheless. Sam opened a cabinet, digging around and pulling out a towel, peroxide, and a SpongeBob band-aid. She wet the towel and started to wipe the cut as gently as possible. Sam was a little confused when Kate didn't flinch or wince. Even when she dabbed some peroxide on the cut Kate was as still as a post.

When Sam was all done and had applied the band-aid, she threw away the garbage and put everything back in its place. As she started to make her way to open the door Kate stopped her. 

“Wait,” she said, making Sam turn around with a questioning look on her face, wondering what Kate needed. “You missed one.” Sam’s eyebrows furrowed at that, she was sure she had gotten all of them she could see. The idea Kate might be talking about an injury under her clothes made Sam blush just the smallest bit. 

“Where?” Sam asked, a little worried, but also excited, to hear where the injury was. Kate just smirked at her a little, almost as if she could hear Sam’s thought process. The response Kate gave immediately made Sam soften a little. 

“Right….here.” Kate pointed to her lips, trying to look as serious as possible but letting a smile peek through. “I think a kiss might make it better, medically, of course.” Kate couldn’t believe that just hours ago she hadn't talked to Sam in months and now here she was playing coy to get a kiss. 

“Oh, I can’t imagine how I ever missed that. Medically, of course, it’s my duty to take care of the patient's wishes. One kiss coming right up.” Sam couldn't help her smile as she leaned in to place a warm, soft kiss on Kate’s lips. She was glad the taller girl seemed to be coming out of her shell already. Sam couldn’t even begin to imagine all the things Kate must have been through, but she was there for Kate now and she’d stay as long as the other girl wanted her.

Kate melted into the kiss and placed one hand on Sam’s neck, the other on her hip to pull the blonde in between her legs. They were both smiling into the kiss so wide they had to split apart, but the two stayed close, foreheads leaning against each other. 

Kate kept her eyes closed for a second, just embracing the utter joy she felt at the moment, she was willing to bet there was a lot more joy to come if Sam stuck with her, and the thought brought a smile to her face. 

Realizing they had been up here for a relatively long time, Kate hopped down from the counter and grabbed Sam’s hand, interlocking their fingers, before dragging the girl downstairs. Kate was eager to have dinner and possibly hear embarrassing baby stories about Sam, Kate always had an evil secret agenda. 

They made it to the dining room to find that four places were set, two on one side of the table and two across from them on the other side. The girls quickly sat down on the side furthest from the entrance. Sam's parents joined them soon, bringing the food along with them. The girls finally let go of each other's hands in order to serve themselves and everyone loaded up their plates. All that could be heard for a little while was the movement of silverware. 

Once everyone had gotten their portions, Mary broke the silence. “So, how did you two girls get to know each other?” she asked while cutting her steak.   
Sam spoke up and answered the question, “Actually, Kate was my partner in an ELA assignment we had to do a month or two ago. Kate's super smart, so we got a really good grade. It helped my average and I'm always grateful for that.” Kate just smiled and rolled her eyes at the girl's compliment. 

“You can't give me all the credit Sam, you did half the project and were a huge help. You’re just as smart as me.” Both Dave and Mary laughed at the girl's playful arguing before Dave seemed to notice something.

“What’s the matter with your cheek Kate? I didn't notice anything when you first came in.” before she could reply Mary commented as well.

“Yeah, and now that I look at you, you seem to have a black eye too. Are you alright? Did you get hurt?” Kate looked over at Sam as if asking what she should do. Sam just shrugged, giving Kate a small smile and squeezing her hand under the table. Kate really didn't want to lie to Sam's parents, they seemed like very nice people. But should she really be telling people about what happened? If her father caught wind of her telling anyone she would be in some serious trouble. 

In the end, her desire to share her story and the safe energy that Dave and Mary exuded was enough. She ended up telling them the events of the day and any backstory that was needed as they ate dinner, leaving out the part where she kissed their daughter, not sure if Sam would want her to share that or not.

When she was finished, Dave immediately stood up, pushing his chair out. “We need to go to the police right now. Get that man thrown in prison for what he's done and make him pay. No one deserves that treatment, especially someone like you, who I can tell, even from the few hours I’ve known you, seems so caring.”

This made Kate jump up just as fast, yelling, “No!” before he could do anything. Everyone stared at Kate a little shocked by her outburst. “Sorry, it's just that going to the police isn't going to fix anything. He's a wealthy man and has a lot of people in his corner. I realize he's a bad person and should be punished, but that's not always how things work out. I'm fine without him, I have a plan and I'm getting out of here as soon as I graduate. I just need to stay out of his way for a couple more months and everything will be fine. Please, I'm begging you, don't go to the police, it will just make things worse. I can deal with things on my own, I've done it for a long time, and I can do it for just a little bit longer.”

Dave sat back down and seemed to be contemplating something, he looked over to his wife, having a silent conversation with her that only years of a strong connection could allow. Once he looked back at Kate he seemed to have calmed down considerably. 

“Okay,” he started gaining everyone's attention. “We won't go to the police, your secret’s safe with us.” Kate breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they were understanding. “But, we have an offer to make. I hate to see you go back to that house where he can get to you. If you're okay with it, we’d like to offer you a place to stay. For now, at least, we can find something more permanent later.” 

Kate was shocked, to say the least, she couldn't believe that these people she had known for less than a day were willing to let her into their home. “ I-I mean, it's an amazing offer, but I couldn't do that to you. You've barely known me for an hour, and I would just be a burden,” Kate tried to argue. 

Mary quickly cut in before anyone else could. “Sweety, you would not be a burden. Dave and I would love to have you around. I know we've only seen you for a couple of hours, but Sam is obviously fine with you, and the fact that you wouldn't want to impose and would rather put yourself in harm's way says a lot. You have great character Kate, and I'd hate to hear you got hurt again when I knew we could have done something to help.” Kate was at a loss for words and looked over to Sam for some kind of guidance. 

At first, Sam was just as shocked as Kate, but as she processed the idea she began to like it more and more. The possibility to be in the same house as her kinda girlfriend and keep her out of harm's way at the same time seemed like a huge bonus. There really wasn't any reason why Kate shouldn't stay with them. If her parents were as bad as they sounded, Sam figured they would barely notice or care that Kate was gone.

So, when Kate gazed at Sam with a questioning look, like she was asking for Sam's opinion, all she could do was smile and give a small nod showing Kate she agreed with the plan wholeheartedly. The confirmation from Sam must have tipped the scales because Kate seemed to become more and more accepting of the idea.

“Are you guys sure?” Kate questioned one more time. When she was given a nod from both adults she relented. “Okay,” she exhaled shakily, “if you guys are sure then I'll gladly accept.”

All three of the Collins broke out into huge grins, happy to have gotten Kate to stay with them. “Okay, well then, it's settled, you can stay in Sam's room for now. We can figure out a more temporarily-permanent fix later. We can take you to pick some of your stuff up when you know your parents won't be home. But besides that, I think this is going to work out really wonderfully. We're happy to have you, Kate.” 

After Dave had explained the rough plan, both he and Mary started to clean up the empty dishes from dinner. Kate offered to help, but they insisted the girls go upstairs. Not before telling them to keep the door open and Mary sending a wink and grin Sam's way. Kate was a little surprised at the fact that Sam's mother seemed to know they had something going on.

As Kate was pulled by a blushing Sam, up to her room, she was still a little in awe. Her life had gone from completely horrible, to having three amazing people, in the span of one day. It was exhausting to think about, and Kate was happy when they finally made it up to the room and she could plop down on Sam's bed. Kate immediately stretched herself out, successfully taking up a majority of the bed. 

She felt Sam plop down right on top of her and just let out a content sigh. Sam laughed before sliding back off of her and throwing a pair of sweatpants and a large, comfy shirt at Kate. 

“I'm gonna go change in the bathroom, you better have changed too when I get back.” With that Sam left the room, shutting the door behind her. After she left, Kate reluctantly got up and changed into the clothes, loving that they smelled just like Sam. She climbed under the covers and curled up on one side of the bed, already starting to drift off. 

A little while later, a warm body slid in next to her putting their arm around her waist. Kate just snuggled further into Sam, wrapping her arms around the one Sam had around her waist and holding it close. 

“Wow, you must be really tired. Get some sleep Kate I'll be here in the morning, you've had a long day,” Sam said softly before placing a gentle kiss on Kate's temple. Kate fell asleep for the first time in her life living in the present and not being solely focused on getting out. Instead, she was focused on the amazing girl behind her and how maybe life wasn't all that bad after all. That maybe, just maybe, it was okay to have hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that if you've made it this far, you enjoyed the story. 
> 
> I hope the ending doesn't seem too abrupt. I didn't really see a future for the story beyond this point and so going to sleep with her newfound discovery of hope seemed to be a fitting place for Kate to end. 
> 
> I do have some extra scenes written but I wouldn't really wanna continue this without a vision for where it would end up or what would happen along the way. If it gets enough attention, which I don't think it will, then I could possibly be persuaded to continue it, especially if I was given suggestions for aspects someone might want to see explored. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks again, any kudos or comments are appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.


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